So...tell me about my Cloak & Dagger...

TheDrewster

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So this is a weird one. And it's kind of difficult to find info on. I picked up this converted Rastan/Robotron to do a full restore and cabinet swap with my current Robotron. But then I noticed there was something different about this one. I started stripping the paint off and didn't find Robotron art underneath. I found Cloak and Dagger artwork. And there's a Cloak and Dagger backdoor sheet. AND to top it all off, this Atari serial number 0002.

I don't know what I should do. This machine looks like the C&D art was applied by a factory and looks absolutely perfect underneath. Are C&Ds hard to find?

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Not surprising at all ...

http://www.arcade-museum.com/game_detail.php?game_id=7353

Name: Cloak & Dagger
Manufacturer: Atari
Year: 1983
Type: Videogame

Conversion

Atari designed the game as a conversion kit for Williams' games like Defender, Stargate, Joust and Robotron: 2084. The wiring harness supplied with the kit plugs into the existing power supply in these games and reuses the Williams' sound board (without the CPU and ROM) for audio amplification.
 
C&D is certainly a interesting title. I would keep it original. It's the close-est one can find that game to being original. Being a rare title, it would be hard to track down parts. Who knows, 0001 could still be around, 0002 can be forgotten. :wink:

This stuff is always down to the owner. If you want a Robotron. Trade it, or turn it into what you want.
 
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Thats pretty great. Love C&D, but it will be a bitch to find the board and parts if they were stripped for rastan conversion.
 
If it came factory c&d definitely restore it back to c&d.

If operator conversion then either robotron or c&d would be ok.
 
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If it came factory c&d definitely restore it back to c&d.

If operator conversion then either robotron or c&d would be ok.


There is Robotron artwork underneath the C&D artwork, and I can see some Robo burn on the monitor. My gut tells me to turn it back into Robotron.
 
It started life as a Robotron. (made by Williams)
It should end its days as a Robotron. (restored by Drewster)
Likely easier to convert it back to a Robotron as well ...
 
That's a tough one. Not knowing Cloak and Dagger, I would say Robobtron but there are about a jillion Robotrons out there, not to mention Multi-Williams rigs.
 
I'm curious as to what kinda town a Robotron was doing so poorly that a C&D was gonna outearn it? Either that Robotron boardset was 100% dead or the op was a gambling man.... 'This Rastan is really gonna pull me out of that hole, I can just feel it!'
 
I was told Atari wanted to test C&D kits so they brought in some defender and robotron cabs to do that. I used to know a guy who got a robotron one from Atari.

I really don't think it would have more value than a robotron. With the art kits that were made, I would think people would pay more for a C&D in a crystal castles than in robotron.
 
I have to agree with Cossack and Mrbill, in that you could potentially have a 'proto' factory-built Cloak and Dagger.

It's possible that it was converted to C+D by an operator. However what's interesting is the Atari sticker, and the odd handwritten serial number.

Were Atari stickers distributed with conversion kits? If so, then it's possible that it's an op conversion (and someone made up a serial for it). However I think an equal argument can be made that it could potentially have come from Atari. In the end, there might just not be enough hard evidence to know either way for sure.

Either way, my vote would be to restore it to C+D. The parts exist, between what's been reproed, and what other parts are floating around. I'm a fan of the game, and have all of the parts for a Defender conversion C+D that I'm currently assembling, and they weren't impossible to find. It just took some time and persistence.

C+D is having a bit of an uptick in interest lately, if you follow the threads. And IMO it's well deserved. It's an interesting game on multiple levels. The artwork alone is gorgeous.

There are a million Robotrons out there, while a Cloak is a far more unique game, and more of a challenge to build/restore.

Plus, if you build or buy one of Spaeth's JAMMA adapters for it (which he just sold out of, but may build more), you can set it up as JAMMA internally, and be able to drop a JROK in it and play Robotron anyway, with the dual stick setup.
 
I have to agree with Cossack and Mrbill, in that you could potentially have a 'proto' factory-built Cloak and Dagger.



It's possible that it was converted to C+D by an operator. However what's interesting is the Atari sticker, and the odd handwritten serial number.



Were Atari stickers distributed with conversion kits? If so, then it's possible that it's an op conversion (and someone made up a serial for it). However I think an equal argument can be made that it could potentially have come from Atari. In the end, there might just not be enough hard evidence to know either way for sure.



Either way, my vote would be to restore it to C+D. The parts exist, between what's been reproed, and what other parts are floating around. I'm a fan of the game, and have all of the parts for a Defender conversion C+D that I'm currently assembling, and they weren't impossible to find. It just took some time and persistence.



C+D is having a bit of an uptick in interest lately, if you follow the threads. And IMO it's well deserved. It's an interesting game on multiple levels. The artwork alone is gorgeous.



There are a million Robotrons out there, while a Cloak is a far more unique game, and more of a challenge to build/restore.



Plus, if you build or buy one of Spaeth's JAMMA adapters for it (which he just sold out of, but may build more), you can set it up as JAMMA internally, and be able to drop a JROK in it and play Robotron anyway, with the dual stick setup.



I'll try to do some more research on it before I do anything more with the machine. If this is a rare or early example of something, I'd like to leave well enough alone. The hand written serial number is what really piques my curiosity. I already have a Robotron so I don't need to build a JROK or anything. I wouldn't mind turning this back into a C&D, it just sickens me that some op ripped out what was possibly an early run kit.
 
Cool. I'm interested to hear of you can dig up any more info on the cab.

Just to clarify, I wasn't necessarily suggesting making it a JROK, but just offering it as more of a value-add, if you did decide to set it up as JAMMA internally. Anyone who potentially bought or owned the cab down the road would also have a JAMMA cab, which is optimized for Robotron.

FYI, if you do decide to restore it to C+D, you basically have a choice to make as to how to wire and power it. Based on the research I've done for my cab, there are 3 possible options:

- Original route: Get a Defender PS and sound board, and find an original C+D conversion harness (which was designed to plug into the Defender PS). This route also requires the RF adapter board, as this is what the harness is designed to connect to. This is probably the hardest option (in terms of complexity, and finding the parts, as the harness and RF boards aren't super common).

- Hacky route: Use an Atari color raster brick and AR. This wasn't standard, but can be done, with some work. Solves power/iso for the monitor, though you need to modify the game PCB to make the audio work with the AR. (There is a thread about this in the archives). Also easy if you are familiar with Atari AR's and bricks, which are pretty straightforward. Requires some handmade adapter-fu to interface the AR to the C+D conversion harness, but I believe Bob Roberts sells one (based on some posts I saw.)

- JAMMA route: Get one of Spaeth's JAMMA adapters (or build an equivalent), then use a standard JAMMA harness and power scheme. Mark's adapter includes an audio amp, which is needed. This route is nice, as parts are relatively easy to get (minus the JAMMA adapter at the moment, unless you convince Mark to build more), and it eliminates the need for the conversion harness, and the RF adapter board. Plus you end up with a JAMMA cab when you're done.


I'm leaning toward the 2nd or 3rd option for my cab, and I technically have the parts to do either. So whichever way I go, I may end up with some spare parts.

Anyway, hope this info is useful.
 
So...tell me about my Cloak & Dagger...

Lol. I can't find a regular C&D, and other guys are finding possibly rare proto ones. Just my luck.... :)

Atari stickers were distributed with kits. I sold a partial Road Runner kit to a member here and it came with all the serial number stickers as well.

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Well, I can't find any more info on this machine that I didn't already know. I want to proceed with my Robotron restoration but at the same time, I don't want to risk trashing something that could be rare. The side art is not going to be salvageable, as the citrustrip did damage some of the black areas of the art. The artwork also has pits and chips scattered all about. There is Robotron artwork underneath this vinyl. As long as someone can assure me that I am not risking trashing something rare, I'd like to proceed with the Robotron restoration.
 
Well, I can't find any more info on this machine that I didn't already know. I want to proceed with my Robotron restoration but at the same time, I don't want to risk trashing something that could be rare. The side art is not going to be salvageable, as the citrustrip did damage some of the black areas of the art. The artwork also has pits and chips scattered all about. There is Robotron artwork underneath this vinyl. As long as someone can assure me that I am not risking trashing something rare, I'd like to proceed with the Robotron restoration.

I imagine all prototypes were built off of pre-existing cabinets. It wasn't uncommon for the competing companies to have each others games laying around on site. I'm sure Atari had no qualms converting there competitors machine into a C+D. I'd wouldn't disregard it as an option, that it could of been one of the first C+D machines before Atari settled on what Atari cabinet the game would go into. You're probably not going to find much information that supports or goes against that, who documents prototypes? Big picture C+D is pretty uncommon, compared to Robotron. I would vote to keep it as C+D. I own and enjoy Robotron, so I don't think I'm being that biased. -Regardless, you sound very dead-set on restoring it to a Robotron. You could always trade to some one interested in C+D for Robo.. if you can't decide.
 
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